A few weeks ago we called for applications for a sales rep role that was open at Sesi Technologies. We received a couple dozen CVs and applications and as usual, there was no shortage of poorly written applications.
After reviewing all the applications, here are the top CV mistakes many of the applicants made. You should definitely avoid these CV mistakes if you really want the job.
1. Telling Lies on Your CV
One applicant in an attempt to tailor their CV to the role went too far and just plainly lied about their roles and experience. They inflated their years of experience and lied about their role and job description in the organizations they worked for. How did we find out? We checked them out on LinkedIn!
Needless to say, they didn’t make it to the interview stage. If they can tell lies just to get an interview, there’s no telling what they will do when they finally get the job. And dishonesty is not a culture you want to build in your company.
2. Not Making The Effort To Write A Good CV
We received a lot of very poorly written CVs by people who seemed only interested in blasting their CVs for any job application without paying attention to making the CV look great. We even had one person who had written notes and other random text at the bottom of their CV. It seemed like they wanted to take notes from a class and they wrote their notes on the same file that had their CV!
Sending Your CV for a job application is like going on a first date. You only get one chance at a good first impression. Because recruiters receive lots of applications for any available role, they have lots of options to choose from. Which means only the best applications get to the next stage.
Having a poor CV will most certainly guarantee that your application will be rejected. What’s the point of applying for a job anyway if you aren’t going to put in your best effort?
3. Poor Cover Letter or Poor Answers to Application Questions
At Sesi Technologies, instead of asking for a cover letter, we let prospective applicants answer some questions instead. eg “Why do you want to work with Sesi Technologies?” We consider the responses to the question in shortlisting applicants.
However, many applicants don’t realize this and don’t put any effort into writing a good cover letter or answering application questions well and this ends up affecting their chances of getting to the next stage.
Applying for job opportunities is an emotionally stressful endeavour. No one enjoys receiving rejection emails. If you are going to apply in the first place, you might as well put in a good application and ensure you have a great CV.
I have written an e-book that walks you through the steps of writing a good CV.

Additionally, I offer a CV writing and reviewing service that you can contact me about directly on WhatsApp if you are interested.
Happy job hunting!
Hello Isaac Sesi. I always look forward to your blog posts. Thank you for this post in particular and the free ebook. I’ve learnt something i can apply.
You’re welcome. Thanks for reading.
Hi, there’s a typo on the second line of your first point. Kindly check it. 👍🏿
Fixed. Thank you!
Thanks for the wonderful piece
You’re welcome. Glad you liked it.
Great piece
Is it right to state in your cv that you are opened for any job available or you should just state a particular one you interested in ?
No. It’s not a good idea. Don’t do that. If there is a call for job applications, send your CV in response to the particular role that is being advertised.
How about referees on cv, is it necessary?
Many employers don’t have any strict rules regarding putting referees on your CV.
My suggestion is this: If you chose to add referees to your CV, put their details in there (with their consent of course). If you choose not to decide not to, then leave it out. But don’t put there “Available upon request”
Great advice. Thank you. I’d love to befriend you. Any contact details please?
Great article 😊 .Please can I put my picture in my CV?
Personally, I wouldn’t advise it. Some countries have strict anti-discrimination policies and labour lawys and recruiters have to be able to prove that your assessment was not based on race or gender. IN other countries, putting a photo on your CV is acceptable. In Ghana, while there are no legal implications, it isn’t really the norm for people to put their photos on their CV so I wouldn’t recommend it.
Good read
Thank you!